1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to foldable seats for a motor vehicle, and more particularly to foldable seat assemblies of a type in which a seatback is inclinable forward to be folded on a seat proper.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In automobiles for commercial use, such as a van or the like, a so-called "foldable seat" is usually employed as a rear seat for obtaining larger luggage space when the vehicle is used as a luggage carrier. Upon requirement of larger luggage space, the seatback is inclined forward and folded on the seat proper. With this, the space defined above the folded seat can be used as an extra luggage space.
One of the conventional foldable seats is schematically shown in FIG. 4A, which comprises a seat proper 1 mounted on a depressed floor of a motor vehicle, a seatback 2 pivotally connected to the seat proper 1, and a known latch mechanism arranged between the seat proper 1 and the seatback 2 for locking the seatback 2 at a given raised position. Usually, the seat proper 1 and the seatback 2 are each constructed to have a swelled upper or front surface 3 in order to give a comfortable sitting feeling to a seat occupant.
However, as is seen from FIG. 4B, the swelled surfaces 3 of them have such a drawback that when the seatback 2 is folded on the seat proper 1, a back surface 2a of the folded seatback 2 becomes inclined considerably with respect to the floor 4 of the luggage space. However, as is easily understood, provision of such inclined surface on the luggage space floor 4 makes loading of luggages thereon difficult or at least troublesome.